Kerala an 'incubator' of viruses, but can deal with Nipah effectively, says Shashi Tharoor

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 21 : Reacting to the recent outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that the state had become an "incubator" of many viruses, but he was confident Kerala could effectively deal with the infection.
"Kerala has dealt with these viruses before. We seem to sadly be an incubator of many viruses. Right now, there's Nipah, there's H1N1...various other things being talked about, and people are worried about it, particularly in a state which is so advanced, where the health system is considered the best in India," Tharoor said while speaking to ANI on Sunday morning.
"It seems, on one hand, ironic that the prevalence of these illnesses is so widespread. On the other hand, we also have confidence that if any state can deal with this effectively, it is Kerala," he added.
"There is nothing to do with politics; it is essentially about building up a credible public health infrastructure, anchored in the communities and with the public's full involvement and participation. This was in evidence during COVID and was widely recognized around the world. I hope that Kerala will also be able to handle Nipah and these viruses without too much of setbacks," Tharoor further said.
The Congress leader also prayed for the recovery of a 14-year-old boy who tested positive for the infection on Saturday.
The teen from Kerala's Malappuram, however, succumbed to the disease on Sunday afternoon.
"A case of Nipah virus has been detected in Mallapuram district of Kerala. A 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram exhibited AES symptoms and was admitted to a healthcare facility in Perinthalmanna before being transferred to a higher health center in Kozhikode. However, the patient later succumbed to the disease. The samples were sent to NIV, Pune which has confirmed a Nipah virus infection," according to a government release.
The Centre has advised immediate public health measures to be taken by the state government, such as active case search in the family of the confirmed case, the neighborhood, and areas with similar topography.
The Centre has also advised active contact tracing (for any contacts) during the past 12 days, strict quarantine of the contacts in the case, isolation of any suspects, and collection and transportation of samples for lab testing.
A multi-member joint outbreak response team from the National 'One Health Mission' of Union Health Ministry will be deployed to support the State in investigating the case, identifying epidemiological linkages, and providing technical assistance.
Additionally, at the State's request, ICMR had sent monoclonal antibodies for patient management, and a mobile BSL-3 laboratory for testing additional samples from contacts has arrived in Kozhikode. The monoclonal antibodies had reached before the patient died but could not be used due to his poor general condition.
It is important to note that outbreaks of Nipah Virus Disease (NiVD) have been reported in Kerala in the past, with the most recent one occurring in 2023 in the Kozhikode district. Fruit bats are the usual reservoir of the virus, and humans can become infected by accidentally consuming bat-contaminated fruits, the release added.
Earlier, Kerala Health Minister Veena George convened a high-level meeting on Saturday in the Malappuram district after reports of a suspected case of the Nipah virus in the state.
The meeting discussed the measures to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety of the public. The officials also reviewed the current situation and the steps taken so far to control the outbreak.
She reached Malappuram to lead the efforts to control the outbreak. The government has also constituted committees to oversee the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Nipah virus control.
The meeting was attended by top officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, the Director of the National Health Mission, and the District Collectors of Malappuram and Kozhikode.
On Sunday, Health Minister Veena George stated that the state is fully prepared to tackle the issue. The Health Minister said that after the Nipah virus was confirmed in Malappuram, preventive measures have intensified.
Based on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) formed as part of the government order for Nipah control, 25 committees have been constituted. Contact tracing started on Saturday morning.
"There are 214 people on the primary contact list. 60 people who were closely involved in this are in the high-risk category. 30 isolation rooms have been arranged at Manjeri Medical College. Apart from this, necessary isolation wards have also been arranged at Kozhikode Medical College. A route map will be published," she added.
The minister requested those who were in those places at the time to contact the control room.
George said that all high-risk contacts will have their samples tested. A 24-hour Nipah control room has been opened. Those with Nipah symptoms should call the control room. Fever can be accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: headache, fits, cough, and breathing problems.
"If you have respiratory symptoms, you are more likely to spread it to others. In the case of Nipah disease, the symptoms may increase with time, and the risk of spreading the disease may increase as the severity of the disease increases," she added.